Cultures, and starter cultures, in particular are used extensively in the food industry in the manufacture of fermented products including milk products (e.g., yogurt, buttermilk, and cheese), meat products, bakery products, wine, and vegetable products. The preparation of cultures is labor intensive, occupying much space and equipment, and there is a considerable risk of contamination with spoilage bacteria and/or phages during the propagation steps. The failure of bacterial cultures due to bacteriophage (phage) infection and multiplication is a major problem with the industrial use of bacterial cultures. There are many different types of phages and new strains continue to emerge. In addition, there is a need for methods and compositions for tracking bacteria used in such cultures. Indeed, despite advances in culture development, there is a continuing need to improve cultures for use in industry.